Clifford Chance
Valerie Kong is Clifford Chance's Office Managing Partner in Singapore and specialises in Corporate M&A.
With over 20 years of experience in her legal career, Valerie has extensive knowledge in working with financial institutions and multinational companies. As Managing Partner for Clifford Chance's Singapore office, she leads a team of over 120 lawyers across all practice areas. She is also a "lifer" at Clifford Chance, having started her career in London and experiencing every stage of her legal career with the firm in Singapore.
Her Corporate practice encompasses cross-border M&A transactions, joint ventures, acquisitions and divestments with a particular focus on the consumer goods & retail, energy, transport & logistics as well as financial institutions sectors in South East Asia and other emerging markets. Part of her practice includes advising underwriters on W&I insurance policies for M&A transactions. She is dual-qualified to practise law in Singapore, and England & Wales and has been consistently ranked as a leading lawyer in various legal directories, including Chambers Global, Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500 and IFLR1000.
Valerie is passionate about championing the culture of inclusion and collaboration with clients and her team to continue building onto the firm's success as an ethical and responsible business.
- Advised Unilever on its US$2.6 billion acquisition of Carver Korea from Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs
- Advised Kellogg on its acquisition of a controlling stake in Multipro, a leading distribution company in Nigeria and Ghana (which distributes Indomie Noodles), and a separate joint venture with Tolaram Africa, the third largest food company in Nigeria, to develop Kellogg branded snacks and cereal for the West Africa Market
- Advised Golden Springs Group (owned by Peter Zuellig) on its auction sale of Gold Coin Management, one of the largest animal feed manufacturer in Asia, to Aboitiz
- Advised Tyson Foods on its US$340 million acquisition of BRF S.A.'s Thai and European operations
- Advised Ping An Capital Co. Ltd on its US$121 million acquisition of a minority stake in Fullerton Healthcare, a key player in the managed healthcare industry in Asia Pacific
- Advised Navis on the merger of its portfolio asset, the Celebrity Fitness chain of fitness gyms, with the Fitness First chain across Asia
- Advised GE Aviation on a strategic maintenance, repair and overhaul joint venture in Singapore with SIA Engineering Company
- Advised Airbus S.A.S. on the establishment of a joint venture in Singapore with SIA Engineering Company to provide airframe maintenance, cabin upgrade and modification services for Airbus A380, A350 and A330 aircraft to airlines in Asia-Pacific
- Advised PSA on a joint venture with CGM CMA in relation to the establishment of CMA CGM-PSA Lion Terminal in Singapore
- Advised PSA on a joint venture with Ocean Network Express in relation to a terminal with four mega container berths at Pasir Panjang Terminal
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, Singapore
- +6564102271
- Email me
- Follow me on LinkedIn
- Speaks English and Mandarin
- Practice area M&A corporate
- Sector Consumer goods & retail, Healthcare, life sciences & chemicals, Transport & logistics, Private equity
Career and qualifications
- University of Cambridge (BA LLB) 2001
- Joined Clifford Chance 2002
- Partner since 2014
Awards and citations
- "Valerie Kong is well regarded among market sources for M&A work out of Singapore. She also advises clients on private equity investments, joint ventures and corporate restructurings. She is instructed on deals across the South-East Asia and South Asia regions, as well as further afield. One client names her as 'our go-to for complex global transactions."
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2022: Corporate/M&A - "Valerie Kong is another experienced name in the team, recently advising EQT Infrastructure on the establishment of a 51:49 joint venture company that will serve as an investment platform for the renewable energy sector in India."
The Legal 500 2021
Corporate/M&A: Foreign Firms - "Valerie Kong is well regarded among market sources for M&A work, also advising clients on private equity investments and divestments and joint ventures. She is instructed on deals across the South-East Asia and South Asia regions, as well as further afield."
The Legal 500 2021
Corporate/M&A: International - "Valerie Kong is very high quality and deal friendly, you can have very sensible discussions with her and her W&I expertise is very helpful."
The Legal 500 2020 - "Valerie Kong is a frequent choice for advising underwriters on M&A transactions in the region, in addition to her broader transactional practice. One client calls her a 'top-flight attorney and an effective presence in negotiations."
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2019: Corporate/M&A - "Valerie Kong is always available to provide sound commercial advice and a first-class service."
The Legal 500 2019 - "Valerie Kong is described as an 'extremely impressive' lawyer, adding that she is 'always available, on top of the details, and very easy to work with."
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2018: Corporate/M&A